MLS transfer window opens today

MLS front-office personnel, get out your checkbooks. Silly season has arrived.

The MLS summer transfer window opens today, with teams able to bolster their rosters in hopes of making a postseason push in the coming months. The New York Red Bulls, for one, have already suggested that they are closing in on a major Designated Player signing to assist their attack, while the Columbus Crew are also reportedly on the DP hunt.

A number of players have already signed with teams over the past few weeks and months, and they are eligible to play for their new sides as early as tonight, assuming all of the necessary paperwork has been completed and obtained. Montreal Impact striker Marco Di Vaio is expected to make his debut tonight against Toronto FC in the lone mid-week game on the schedule.

Here are the newest additions to the league:

Chicago Fire – Alex, M

Columbus Crew – Jairo Arrieta, F

Houston Dynamo – Oscar Boniek Garcia, M (DP)

Montreal Impact – Marco Di Vaio, F (DP)

Philadelphia Union – Bakary Soumare, D

Vancouver Whitecaps – Barry Robson, M (DP)

Excited for the official start to the MLS summer transfer season? Which players do you want to see your team acquire? Who do you think will be the Red Bulls’ big signing? Which of the new acquisitions do you see immediately helping their new teams?

33 Responses to MLS transfer window opens today

Former Wonderkid for Sell, last name Adu.
Likes: Dribbling into 3 defenders, falling over, making one or two brilliant plays a game.
Dislikes: Consistently playing to his best ability
Asking price: MAKE OFFER WILL ACCEPT ANYTHING

If you sign mid-season, do they figure DP based on the actual half season you will earn this year or a theoretical full year? That is to say, if I would be making $450 K a year but would only earn $225 K for the first half season because I’m signed in July, am I DP eligible?

I ask in part beause I am interested if Boniek’s DP reflects just the rumored $1 million transfer fee, paid over two years, or if Boniek’s pro-rated salary actually gets him there too. LA Landin a couple years back was technically a DP for his loan fee and not his actual salary, which was barely over $100 K.

Also, does MLS factor any part of the fee into a team’s cap number or is that just salary? It would be interesting to me if you could get allocation for a sale fee (I recall the number $600 K being tossed around) but no cap hit going the opposite direction.

Big picture I think Houston needs to make more moves than just Boniek. Boniek may or may not be the solution to Houston being a Davis-one-trick-pony, balancing that on the right, but the past few weeks have IMO exposed the weakness of the central midfield and backline as well. They don’t need to toss the whole thing out but with a rumored Cameron transfer out, we may need to make some moves just to fill his spot or plug the leaks.

If they pursued them they’d probably net out Ireland from the three and whoop de do it won’t put them over the top. Kaka would blow them off and I’m a little lost how someone denied a new visa for — what? previous visa overstay? inaccuracies on the application? those are the rumors… — is going to be greeted with open arms by immigration if he tries again.

Also, from a cold calculating perspective, isn’t Cooper trading up? I realize Rodgers was a fan favorite but he was only “so” productive, and Cooper meanwhile is quietly second in the league in goals, ahead of his partner in crime Henry. Having cleared the Agudelo logjam why would you, short of an injury, re-complicate your forward pool?

If Philly can find some goals — I mean, 12 GF in 13 games??? one can only hope SKC was an omen — throwing Soumare into a defense that was already down at a leading 15 GA (tied with SKC and the Crew) could be interesting.

Sadly 4 of those 12 were in one game, granted it was their last and against a good team in SKC. If the Union start finding the back of the net they could move up the standings quickly. Will it be enough to push them into the playoffs?? Or is it already too late? Bakary may be able to help in Philly’s biggest defensive issue and that being set pieces.

All due respect but shifting around existing deck chairs when your best defender, however distracted, leaves, is not “replacement.” And I like Taylor. I’d be concerned the defense gets even slower. Taylor is a stout defender and composed passer but fast he ain’t. Can you really see him and Boswell paired? I think everyone on the whole backline is messing up, so even if you had some addition by subtraction theory I don’t think it works that way. You don’t fix the problems by deleting the real all star off the backline (sorry Corey). I think that’s an invitation to game after game like Vancouver.

Replacement is we go out and take Cameron $ and sign someone.

I’ve heard the Rangers/ Miller rumors but I’ll believe that when I see it.

It’s been 5 years since the titles, and even when DK puts together a decent team they seem flawed, slow, too deadball dependent. I don’t think he gets what used to make the old DeRo/ Holden/ Clark/ Mullan/ Davis midfields work…and it wasn’t an obsession with midfield defense, hint hint.

The Fire have quite a number of strong players including one of the strongest midfields in the league. An outstanding striker to play along side of Oduro is the missing piece. As for Alex Morgan…she would certainly look good in a Fire uniform…or anything else.

Not particulary convinced that Barry Robson is going to have much impact in MLS, I dont think he’s really all that much better than players that are already in the league, why Vancouver gave him DP money is beyond me.

Haha, that would be great! I don’t think Dos Santos will come but I think that the CB from Barcelona B will come. What about Edu to SKC? He doesn’t play pretty for the national team but I think he would fit in the high pressure system.